Runaround Bag Pattern Gets A Groovy New Cover Girl

Lazies, On Monday I told you about the new Wonder Wallet pattern cover. Today, I want to share the new face of the Lazy Girl Designs ‘Runaround Bag’ pattern (#LGD111). Here’s our groovy new girl:

Since I was adding tips to the Wonder Wallet and updating the cover, I decided to do the same with the Runaround Bag pattern. I only have two teeny tips for you, but go ahead and print them (below) and keep them with your pattern if you already own one.

Aside from being quick as a whistle and cute as a button (or six), I love the ‘Sew Easy’ zipper installation in the Runaround Bag. This is the first pattern that I used the Sew Easy technique to install a poly all-purpose zipper. If you are thinking about trying a project with a zipper for the first time, the Runaround Bag is the best place to start with our product line. Don’t worry, the ‘Sew Easy’ method is completely laid out in the pattern. And if you would like to see the zipper installation in action, the only place that is currently available is an episode Kaye’s Quilting Friends on PBS or in our ‘Tips’ DVD.

Tips Include:

– Topstitch above and below the zipper.At the end of step 1, stitch on the fabric next to the zipper, catching both layers of fabric in the stitching.

This adds a really nice finishing touch at the zipper. Consider using a narrow decorative stitch or specialty thread to make the most of this detail.

– Zig Zag stitch around the inside seam allowance.
After sewing the project together and before turning it right sides out. Trim the seam allowances so they are nice and neat.

Use a zig zag stitch and stitch around all four raw edges of the project to keep the seam allowance from raveling.

Talk About Cute
We’ve posted about the Runaround Bag before. This is one of my favorite projects! Here is Michelle Meehan’s daughter Kate stylin’ with the bag Michelle made for her. You can read more about this little cutie here.

Already Have The Pattern?
If you already have the original Runaround Bag pattern, I don’t want you to miss out on these tips and ideas. So, just like I did with the Wonder Wallet tips, I’ve made these Runaround Bag tips available in a one-page PDF. If you have the original pattern, these will make sense.

Scrumptious Fabric
I used the ‘A La Mode’ line of fabric by Yolonda Fundora for Lyndhurst Studios by Northcott Fabrics. I used the Coral Chartreuse colorway. There is also a Blue Purple colorway – yum! Another big ‘Thank You’ to Northcott Fabrics for supplying the fabric for our cover sample.

The new Runaround Bag covers just arrived this week and starting shipping on Monday. It may be a couple of weeks for this version with the new cover to be in stock at your local quilt shop.

7 Responses to “Runaround Bag Pattern Gets A Groovy New Cover Girl”

Your package arrived today with my order of “Summer Totes” and the new patterns (replacements for “Wonder Wallet” & “Runaround Bag.”

I LOVE THEM!!! I had to write you immediately to congratulate you on the eye-catching revisions. Both are wonderful improvements — not that anything was wrong with the previous ones — but what a difference using current, updated fabric makes!

The new “Runaround Bag” is bright & hip (I’ve made it a few times for myself and my daughter). I even had a long-time student from my mystery quilt classes who asked me to make her one! She could’ve done it easily herself, but I think she figured that since I’ve made the pattern before, I could do it faster or something. I was so impressed the first time I made it, because your “Sew Easy” zipper technique really DID make it so easy! You probably know that many people (especially quilters) have a fear of zippers, though I tell them that their fear will disappear once they’ve used your method.

But I think the biggest visual impact is with the new “Wonder Wallet”
cover. It is SO updated with the new fabric! I’ve often thought I’d
make one when I had the time, and now I’m on my way out the door to find some fusible (“Fusion”) Velcro so I can make one or two wallets before dinnertime tonight. (Yes, I’m an impulsive person, and your pattern feeds right into that!)

Long-winded as usual, but I had to stop and write you about the great updated looks of these two patterns. I wonder, do you plan to re-do all of your older patterns after this?

This is adorable! I’ll have to post it on my purse blog for the next challenge.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and giving me advice on the Veronica bag–I really appreciate it. I got the idea of using Timtex from a quilt shop in Fallbrook that had the bag displayed that way, but I think I’ll try what you suggested instead.

I just finished making the Runaround Bag for my grandaughter. The pattern was very easy to follow and I had a fun time putting it together. However, I guess I did something wrong because when I turned the purse inside out after stitching it together, what was supposed to be a back pocket is now a front pocket. I followed the “Assembly of All Parts” instructions, I turned the front piece over on top of all the parts and stitched all around. When I pulled everything through the zipper, the back pocket was on the front of the bag.

Can someone please tell me what I did wrong. I was looking forward to making several of these for nieces, but I would like the pocket to be on the back, because it detracts from the front if you want to put any emblishments on the front.

Hi Joyce, It’s nice to hear from you. You made the bag perfectly and here’s what to do. Reach into the pocket and ‘turn’ it to the back, just like you might ‘flip’ over the cuff at the end of a sleeve. When you reached in to turn the project right sides out, your hand went between the wrong layers – that’s it. Give it a try and let me know. My best, Joan

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Welcome to Lazy Girl Designs!

As Lazy Girl, Joan Hawley always finds the easy and fun way to a successful project. A self-described geek and armchair engineer, Joan loves creating new twists and techniques for sewing and quilting. Joan is a renowned author, teacher and popular blogger. In addition to her successful pattern line, she designs notions for Clover Needlecraft and developed her Sew Lazy line of interfacing. Additionally, Joan is passionate for purses and poodles, loves the thrill of the written word, collecting books, thinking about gardening and occasionally burning a new recipe.